Is your boss only asking you to make plans and not your coworkers? That makes it more likely they’re into you. Your boss might also extend personal invitations to you to join them at work parties, happy hours, or office holiday gatherings.
Are they making extra effort to engage you specifically at work gatherings like holiday parties or happy hours? That’s a sign they value your company above other employees’.
Bosses are usually busy people. If they’re doing all this at the expense of their time and energy, chances are they’ve got a thing for you.
Don’t immediately assume your boss is promising these things because they like you romantically—you work hard, after all!
They confide in you about their personal problems. They ask coworkers about you to learn more about your life. They talk excessively about their hobbies and interests to find common ground with you.
Notice if your boss ignores or hangs up on their spouse’s calls when you’re around. If your boss acts very differently when their spouse is around, like at a holiday party or formal event, it’s a sign they don’t want their partner to know how they behave around you.
“Please tell me you don’t have a boyfriend, do you?” “So how’s everything going with your fiancé?” “I heard you had a big blowout with your partner. Are you staying together?”
If your relationship with your boss is casual and friendly, this may not be a big deal. Use your judgment to decide whether it’s OK to add them back. If you’d rather not add them, ignore their request. If they ask why you haven’t accepted or added them back, just tell them you’d prefer not to mix your personal and work life.
Gifts can also be things like making sure your favorite snacks or drinks are always available in the break room, or getting a new air conditioner for your section of the office. Are you the only worker getting gifts from the boss? If so, you can be confident you’ve piqued their romantic interest.
If they only send you these kinds of texts every once in a while, it’s probably nothing to worry about. If it’s regular or daily, they may have a romantic motive.
Non-work compliments could be about your clothes, style, body, personality, or achievement in your personal life. Your boss may offer their praise in front of other coworkers. This can be mildly embarrassing if it’s about work, and potentially inappropriate if it’s about anything else. If your boss’s compliments make you uncomfortable or strike you as sexual harassment, contact the HR department for guidance on how to resolve the issue.
Consider how your boss acts around other employees. If they exhibit flirty behavior towards everyone, it’s just their personality. If it’s only to you, they’re probably interested.
If your boss has always been impeccably dressed and groomed, then it’s less likely their appearance is solely to grab your attention. There are a lot of reasons someone might change up their appearance. If your boss’s new look is accompanied by other flirty signs too, then you can confirm your suspicions.
Look out for other signs like standing very close to you or pointing their feet towards you while they talk to you. Mirroring is another flirtatious form of body language. Watch your boss for things like smiling when you smile, leaning in when you lean in to talk, or matching your posture.
Look at how your boss touches other employees. If they hug everyone, for example, it’s unlikely they view you differently. If you identify sexual harassment from your boss, reach out to your HR department or another trusted support system for guidance on how to put a stop to the behavior.
This is also a sign that they’re trying not to act on their feelings. Give your boss their space to process and move on (as much as you’re able in a work setting).
Depending on your relationship with your colleagues, they might playfully tease you about it, ask you if you’ve noticed out of concern, or largely ignore it.
